Israeli forces on Tuesday demolished the headquarters of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem.
Led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Israeli forces raided the compound at around 7 am local time and raised Israeli flags over the main building. “[This is] a historic day for sovereignty in Jerusalem,” the minister said.
“Today, these terror supporters are being kicked out along with everything they built. This is what will be done to every terror supporter,” he said.
Ben Gvir was accompanied by far-right deputy mayor of Jerusalem, Aryeh King. “God willing, we will expel, kill, eliminate and destroy all UNRWA personnel,” King said during the demolition.
Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner general of UNRWA, said the demolition showed a “new level of open & deliberate defiance of international law”.
“This constitutes an unprecedented attack against a United Nations agency & its premises,” he said on X.
“What happens today to UNRWA will happen tomorrow to any other international organization or diplomatic mission, whether in the Occupied Palestinian Territory or anywhere around the world.”
Adnan Abu Hasna, UNRWA’s Arabic language spokesperson, said no country had ever removed the UN flag from its offices as Israel had done. The agency no longer has any headquarters, offices or institutes on the ground as a result of Israeli decisions,” he told Al Araby TV.
“Israel has declared its intention to dismantle UNRWA and eliminate the Palestinian refugee issue,” he added.
Israel’s foreign ministry defended the demolition, accusing UNRWA of links to Hamas. “UNRWA-Hamas had already ceased operations at this site and no longer had any UN personnel or activity there,” the ministry said.
It claimed the compound did not enjoy immunity and said its seizure complied with Israeli and international law.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate called the demolition “a dangerous escalation” and a direct attack on a UN agency protected by international immunity.
In 2024, Israel’s parliament passed a law banning UNRWA from operating in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
The legislation revoked a 1967 agreement allowing the agency to operate in Israeli-controlled areas, a move critics say violates the UN Charter and international law.
UN and humanitarian experts have warned that the ban could have severe consequences for millions of Palestinian refugees who rely on UNRWA services.
The ban also raised fears that this may be the first step towards Israel trying to strip Palestinian refugees of their refugee status.
UNRWA serves around 5.9 million Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
It is the main UN agency operating in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, overseeing the majority of aid distribution in the enclave.
In Gaza, much of the strip’s 2.2 million population depends on UNRWA for food, shelter, healthcare and education. Smaller aid groups rely on their distribution networks to operate.
IMAGE CREDIT: Heavy machinery operates as Israeli forces dismantle the Jerusalem headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), in East Jerusalem, 20 January 2026 (Reuters/Ammar Awad)
[ SOURCE: MIDDLE EAST EYE ]
